As marketers, we need to change and adopt new ways to promote the products and services that we marketing. One of these methods is to utilize content marketing. But before head down that road, let's make sure we fully understand what content marketing is.
"Content Marketing" is focused on the development of creating, publishing, and sharing content to a targeted audience online. It assists in attracting prospects and helps in transition those prospects in customers by developing and sharing free content they want to consume. Content marketing allows a business to build brand loyalty, helps to build trust and rapport with the audience. It is an ongoing process rather than a one-time process.
How can it benefit your business and increase your bottom line?
Influences the B2B buyers positively without being pushy
With content marketing, you can effectively write content that will lure customers and future customers without heavy sales tactics. By delivering value information instead of pushing B2B buys to buy your products or services, you are positively influencing them to buy your product/services. Does it work? Of course, it works, and that's why large brands like Microsoft and Cisco understand its benefits.
B2B Marketers can't ignore it
The benefits speak for themselves as B2B buyers do not ignore when they are given valuable and relevant content that speaks to them. Any content that is of quality will get people to think, read, and engage differently.
It's the bridge between you and your audience
From blogs to eBooks to Press Releases to SEO, the sharing of valuable information via your social channel allow you to interact with your audience directly.
Interesting fact…
Via a study, it was found that marketers say that content marketing increases engagement by 72%, and they have seen an increase in the number of leads they receive.
ROI of the business improves
It is more than likely your products or services are competing with others when targeting buyer organizations. By developing and sharing informative, detailed content, you now have a tool to help you convince the senior executives that you are the better company to work with. Thus improving your ROI! You can look to build awareness to the appropriate stakeholders by following these steps: • Help them understand how your product or services will impact their returns • Compare and contrast the existing business system to new ones • Share case studies. These allow you to effectively tell the story of how you exactly solved a problem and how you fix it.
Drive them to evaluate your offerings
Buyers will spend very little time scanning your website or your social channels to determine if you are the right provider for them as they typically have a long list to review. So make sure your messages are relevant and precise that they convince the B2B buyer to stop and evaluate you more. Look to get your value proposition across by writing a short description that grabs the attention of the buyer. This is what you need to do:
• Write a short value proposition on your home page showing the problem you address
• Link criterion with products and services that matches the buyer's criteria
• Share more in-depth information about your products and services
In a nutshell, content marketing should be part of every marketer's marketing strategy as it's an effective way to showcase your business to your prospective customers.
About the Author
Jon Rivers – Jon has been recognized as a pioneer within the partner channel as a digital marketing expert for his leadership in helping partners develop social brands, marketing strategies, and content to drive successful marketing campaigns.
Before starting Marketing Monarchs, Jon spent many years working in the Microsoft Dynamics ERP ecosystem system. Jon serves on various boards, including Directions North America, IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners), and CMA (Channel Marketing Alliance).
Comments